Japan domestic auto sales rise in February

TOKYO--Japan's domestic sales of new cars, trucks and buses increased 15% from a year earlier in February, rising for the sixth consecutive month, as customers rushed to buy vehicles ahead of the April sales tax hike.

Sales totaled 336,176 vehicles in February, up from 292,453 in the same month a year earlier, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Monday.

Toyota Motor Corp. sold 153,654 Toyota brand vehicles in February, up 13.4% from a year earlier, with sales of its Lexus upscale vehicles totaling 4,223, up 15.8%. Nissan Motor Co.'s sales fell 0.5% to 53,674 vehicles and Honda Motor Co.'s sales soared 39.2% to 39,998 thanks to solid demand for its new models.

Auto sales, as measured by registrations of vehicles with the government, are monitored by economists since they are the first consumer spending numbers released each month.

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